Courageous Faces gala
Trish Morris started the Courageous Faces Foundation with the idea that everyone deserves the opportunity to have a great life, no matter their physical appearance.
And thanks to her board members, donors and friends, the 3-year-old nonprofit headquartered in Centennial has enriched the lives of dozens of individuals across the United States by providing goods and services that make everyday living easier and more enjoyable.
“We work to further awareness and acceptance of the simple truth that everyone deserves the opportunity to have a great life. We want them to feel important, valued and special,” Morris said at the inaugural Superheroes Gala that brought 375 supporters to the Marriott City Center for dinner, an awards ceremony and entertainment by the World Class Rockers.
Members of the World Class Rockers are vocalists and musicians formerly with Journey, Santana, Boston, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Steppenwolf.
Money raised at the Superheroes Gala will enable Courageous Faces to continue to expand its services for individuals living with rare and severe medical conditions. Individuals like Reggie, who was born with an extreme case of neurofibromatosis that caused his left knee to swell to 28 inches, making it next to impossible to find off-the-rack slacks that fit. When Morris met him at a hotel near his Houston home, she discovered that the Custom Tailors & Designers Association was having a conference there and the next thing Reggie knew was that he was being measured and fitted for a custom wardrobe.
The gift of a Kitchenaid mixer enables Zahra, whose Freeman-sheldon syndrome causes clubbed hands and feet, to better enjoy her love of cooking, while a laptop, printer and hosted Internet access allows burn victim KJ to pursue his dream of becoming a blogger.
The Courageous Faces Foundation has “made a tremendous difference in my life,” Reggie said. “We are people just like anyone else. If we are confident, it will make people more accepting of who we are.”
Chris Starkey, whose AXS is a Denver-based event and hospitality management firm, was the gala’s master of ceremonies.
His daughter, Sammi, was born with choroid piexus papilloma, a rare brain tumor that affects her ability to learn, walk, eat, run and jump. Sammi is one of the current 18 Faces of the Foundation.
Starkey helped Morris present awards to Robert Barron and Johnny Quinn.
Barron, former senior disguise specialist for the Central Intelligence Agency who now produces custom prosthetic devices for patients with conditions resulting from trauma, disease and congenital defects. was given the World Humanitarian Award.
Quinn, who has endured 100 surgeries since sustaining life-threatening burns when the shed in which he was playing went up in flames, received the Courageous Spirit Award. His deepest scars, Quinn said, were to “my heart and soul” and resulted from cruel and thoughtless remarks made by others.
Several years ago, though, Quinn decided not to let strangers’ words hurt him anymore. “I realized that being burned did not mean the end, it was a new beginning.”
The gala was planned by a 40-member committee that included Bev Black, Debbie Crecelius, Debbie Labrant-hartung and her sister, Becky Labrant, Sandee Walling, Arlene Johnson and Hannah Medved, who attended the gala with her husband, Chris, and mother-in-law Debi Medved.
Others supporting the cause: Wendy and Steve Weil; L’erin Stortz and Chris Mendoza; Susan Stiff; Garth and Pam Renall; Kiri Margaros; Lyn Drake; Carla Mcelroy; Alison Hradek and Francis Smith.